FREE ESSAY ON MACBETH ESSAY

MACBETH ESSAY

Macbeth: Tragedy or Satire?
William Shakespeare wrote four great tragedies, the last of which was written in 1606 and
titled Macbeth. This tragedy, as societal critics of yesterday's literary world consider,
scrutinizes the evil dimension of conflict, offering a dark and gloomy atmosphere of a
world dominated by the powers of darkness. Macbeth, more so than any of Shakespeare's
other tragic protagonists, has to face the powers and decide: should he succumb or should
he resist? Macbeth understands the reasons for resisting evil and yet he proceeds with a
disastrous plan instigated by the prophecies of the three Weird Sisters. Thus one must
ask the question: If Macbeth is acting on the impulses stimulated by the prophecies of
his fate, is this Shakespearean work of art really a Tragedy? Aristotle, one of the
greatest men in the history of human thought, interpreted Tragedy as a genre aimed to
present a heightened and harmonious imitation of nature, and, in particular, those
aspects of nature that touch most closely upon human life. This I think Macbeth attains.

However, Aristotle adds a few conditions. According to Aristotle, a tragedy must have six
parts: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song. Most important is the
plot, the structure of the incidents. Tragedy is not an imitation of men, but of action
and life. It is by men's actions that they acquire happiness or sadness. Aristotle
stated, in response to Plato, that tragedy produces a healthful effect on the human
character through a catharsis, a proper purgation of pity and terror. A successful
tragedy, then, exploits and appeals at the start to two basic emotions: fear and pity.
Tragedy deals with the element of evil, with what one least wants and most fears to face,
and with what is destructive to human life and values. It also draws out one's ability to
sympathize with the tragic character, feeling some of the impact of the evil ourselves.
Does Macbeth succeed at this level? Can one feel pity and terror for Macbeth? Or does one
feel that Macbeth himself is merely a branch from the root of all evil and not the poor,
forsaken, fate-sunken man, according to Aristotle's idea of tragedy, he is supposed to
portray? Can one purge his emotions of pity and fear by placing himself in the chains of
fate Macbeth has been imprisoned in? Or does he feel the power and greed upon which
Macbeth thrives, prospers, and finally falls? I believe the latter is the more likely
reaction, and that one sees Macbeth as a bad guy, feeling little or no pity for him.
Aristotle also insists that the main character of a tragedy must have a tragic flaw. Most
tragedies fail, according to Aristotle, due to the rendering of character. To allow the
character to simply be a victim of unpredictable and undeserved calamities would violate
the complete, self-contained unity of action in the tragedy. If that is so, and if one
assumes that the group of three witches is a realistic possibility, then is not Macbeth
such a victim? Does he really deserve the misfortune that is brought him by his fortune?
After all, Macbeth is introduced to the reader as an honest and humble leader. His fate,
once having been revealed to him, drives him to greed, elevates his lust for power, and
coins a conceited and misguided trust in his seemingly eternal mortality. 
Diction, the expression of the meaning in words, is near perfect in Macbeth, simply
because it is written by William Shakespeare, the inventor of perfect diction, thought
the task of saying what is possible and pertinent in the circumstances of the play can
not be disputed. Spectacle and Song are the effects that highlight the play, and are
pertinent in providing an emotional attraction. Such elements are easily found in
Shakespeare. Macbeth is written with the style and grace that only Shakespeare could
provide. Thus, these elements of tragic drama can not be challenged in this argument.
While one needs to consider that Macbeth strives on power, and in doing so loses his
values of humility and humanity, it should not be forgotten that Macbeth does, at
certain times, feel remorse for things he has done. Macbeth confides in Lady Macbeth
after the murder of Duncan: "But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen? I had most need of
blessing, and Amen Stuck in my throat and/ Methought I heard a voice cry Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of
care, The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's
second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast/Macbeth shall sleep no more"2.2.44-56. In
this scene, he shows great turmoil over the deed he has done. Thus one is shown that
Macbeth is acting out deeds that go against his conscience, that he regrets his actions,
and that the prophecies are unfolding. But is this excuse enough to stimulate pity within
one? After all, the man just committed his first of many murders! His grief seems to fade
as his want of power flourishes. So Macbeth continues, the powers of evil feeding on
every move he makes, to make way for his advancement as prophesied by the witches. He
hires his men to eliminate Banquo, a threat to his cumulative reign. Having Banquo out of
the way, Macbeth surges with the sense of power. There is no doubt that he is acting on
the impulses that were stimulated by the first prophecies of his fate. Macbeth returns to
the three witches, desiring more information regarding his fortune. They in turn assure
him that: none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. Invincible power! Macbeth forgets the
other two prophecies: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff, Beware the Thane of
Fife... and/ Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where
conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high
Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him"4.1.80-106. The witches have spoken again, with
unforeseeable truth. Macbeth leaves the dreaded sisters, blinded by his own ambition. Let
the players play! He is assured that he is indestructible, for how could Macduff, a man
of woman born, hurt him? How could the Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane Hill? Preposterous!
Macbeth leads on, confident, bold, and unvictimized. He flashes his power, exalts
himself, and fears no one, not even himself. He no longer cares that he does not sleep. 
"Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all! Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane, I
cannot taint with fear. What's the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits
that know All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus: Fear not, Macbeth. No man
that's born of woman Shall e'er have power upon thee. Then fly, false thanes, And mingle
with the English epicures! The mind I sway by and the heart I bear Shall never sag with
doubt nor shake with fear"5.3.1-10. Having possession of all the confidence in the world,
or at least thinking he does, Macbeth proceeds in a boisterous manner. His fate, once
prophesied to him, has now acquired complete control. He has the titles promised him. He
has found protection in the strength of witch's words. How can one pity such a fool? The
only thing to do is laugh at him, for it can be sure that these prophecies, which Macbeth
has ignored, will come to pass; Macbeth will no doubt fall. And he does. 
Macduff, figuratively but not literally of woman born, holds the rest of the confidence
in the world. Macduff, the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Shakespearean lords, does the
impossible and brings the woods to the hill, and brings the fall of the great and
powerful Macbeth. A tragic ending? One would say not. A tragic ending would have been for
Macduff to fall under Macbeth. A tragic ending would have seen Lady Macbeth take
Macbeth's life. But for Macduff to do what he had to do, the prophecy was fulfilled, and
the only winner is Fate. This does not make a Tragedy. Who does one feel sorry for? Maybe
only Macduff, who was untimely ripped from his mother's womb. We praise Macduff for
conquering Macbeth. Maybe one feels some pity for Lady Macbeth. But one certainly doesn't
feel pity for Macbeth. Yet Macbeth could have been a victim. He lost control of himself,
and allowed himself to be led by Fate. Perhaps Shakespeare fails to supply a tragic flaw
as insisted on by Aristotle. Macbeth does not try to resist Fate, he runs with it. He
does not heed warnings of potential hazards. 
The Macbeth we were introduced to certainly could not have predicted his fortune. Being a
man of honesty and humility, he couldn't have deserved his dilemma. But he succumbed to
his fate, and was no longer an honest and humble Macbeth. Even the most humble and honest
person in the world, except Jesus himself, could be swayed to corruption. The Macbeth
Empire could be compared to Mark Twain's Hadleyburg. In comparing Macbeth to The Man that
Corrupted Hadleyburg, one might be able to see Macbeth as a satirical comedy. Macbeth,
honest and humble, was corrupted by the powers of fortune in much the same way that the
people of Hadleyburg, also honest and humble, were corrupted by the same powers. The
reader could not possibly pity the community of Hadleyburg, and would typically cheer at
its fall. Isn't it the same with Macbeth? The townspeople of Hadleyburg felt remorseful
when they realized they'd been had, in much the same way that Macbeth surely felt when he
learned of Macduff's method of birth. The people of Hadleyburg thought that no harm could
come to them, because they held proper character; they were in proper form. But behind
closed doors they planned their strategies to acquire the power, provided in the form of
a monetary inheritance. This greed/lust for power was the Hadleyburg downfall. Their own
greed was their own enemy. Likewise with Macbeth, a strong leader, upheld by his loyal
comrades, could do no wrong. But once he learned he was to acquire some great fortune, he
was his own enemy. His lust for power drove him to his bitter end. Satire may be defined
as a genre that uses mockery of society to shock that society into an honest look at
itself. Do we consider the Hadleyburg tale a tragedy? No. We see it more as satire. It is
a sarcastic view of society's morals and values, and how hypocritical people, including
ourselves, can be. Putting Macbeth on a parallel with this entertaining American short
story allows us to view the play in a different light. 
One now can see Macbeth as a hypocrite, and one can see him resembling ourselves. How
often can the power of want, the desire for more, lead humanity to destruction and
despair? The same motivational tool that drives a college student into a career can
someday break him. So let the critics of yesterday have their tragedy. Let them read
their own literary mortality in Macbeth: "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in
this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our
yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle! Life's but a
walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is
heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying
nothing5.5.21-30. Even Aristotle would have allowed Macbeth into the Tragedy Hall of
Fame. But if a man has the gift of foresight and is aware of the risks but chooses to
ignore them and runs after his fate, what tragedy is there? If Fate wins, it cannot be
considered a tragedy if Macbeth succeeds in meeting it.